


Comm chatter

by Fleur_de_Violette



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Also there is a giant lobster at some point, Aromantic Stephanie Brown, Asexual Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Biromantic Dick Grayson, Bisexual Barbara Gordon, Bisexual Stephanie Brown, Coming Out, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, F/F, Finding your identity is hard, Friendship, Gen, Minor Barbara Gordon/Dinah Lance, Past Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Past Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown is Batgirl, Stephanie brown will be Nightwing, Talking in the comm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:14:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26231746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleur_de_Violette/pseuds/Fleur_de_Violette
Summary: Stephanie is on a boring stake out. Her only distraction is comm chatter with Oracle. Somehow, her brain had decided this the perfect time for an impromptu coming-out or two.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon & Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown & Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown & Dick Grayson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	Comm chatter

**Author's Note:**

> I wish I could tell you long explanation about the how and the why of the headcanons beside “Meh, I just think it’s cool.”  
> There a tiny Game of Throne reference. For the record, I haven’t seen one episode of Game of Throne so it might be understandable from what is commonly known on the internet.  
> I hesitated a long time before putting this fic online and then decided that it was written anyway, might as well share it. It was published anonymously but then I gained some confidence and decided to remove it from the collection.  
> Hope you'll enjoy the story !

« Oracle?

-Yeah?

-I’m bored. »

There is a sigh on the other hand of the comm. Stephanie sits on the edge of the roof she’s placed on and balances her legs. This stake out is boring. She doesn’t have her phone, not because of the strict no phone on patrol rule that she definitely ignores, but because she forgot it. The bad guys aren’t close to showing up. That left her with only comm chatter as a source of distraction. 

“Are you busy? 

\- No more than usual. 

\- Can we talk? 

-Depends on what you want to talk about.” 

Steph clips and unclips her utility belt, nervously. 

“On Sunday afternoon, I was with a friend at the mall, and I saw you. 

-Oh, yeah,” Barbara seems distracted, like she’s doing something at the same time, which, she probably is, and Steph wish she had that kind of opportunity. “I go there sometimes, it’s accessible and not too crowded, so that’s nice.”

Steph bites her lip. 

“That’s not what I meant. I saw you, with Dinah.

-Oh, yeah. We’re dating. You didn’t know? It’s been a few months.”

She says that like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and Stephanie would be ashamed of her detective skills if there wasn’t something else bothering her. 

“Does Dick know? 

-Um? Of course, why?

-I mean, is he okay with this? 

-Dick has no say in… oh.” There is a huge laughter at the end of the comm. “I see what your problem is, and get where you could get that, but Dick and I aren’t dating!” 

And she laughs like it’s the most absurd thing Steph could believe. Now she definitely feels insulted about her detective skills. She’s blushing, not that anyone would see with the cowl and in the dark, but Oracle probably knows. She knows everything. 

“But… you guys are flirting on the comms all the time!

-That’s just how we communicate. It helps blow off the stress, for both of us.

-But he once spend days trying to understand some tech thing, even came to Tim with organized questions, just so he could get you a present, and you always take care of him when he’s injured and stuff…

-Yes, that what best friends do. Wouldn’t you do the same for Cass?

-I mean, yeah, I would, but…

-But we’re a man and a woman, so that’s different?” 

Stephanie stops. She places her hands in her cowl, like she’s tearing her hairs without actually doing it. 

“Aaaaah. I’m an idiot. I’m sorry.” 

Thankfully, Oracle seems more amused than hurt. 

“It’s okay, we do have a complicated relationship, and we did date before, you had every right to assume… 

-No, that was my bad. I should know better. Especially since it fucked me up before.” 

She realizes she talked out loud and not in her head voice when she ears “it?” in her ear. She sights. No trace of the people she was supposed to watch tonight yet. She’s not getting out of this one. Maybe she doesn’t want to. 

“Heteronormativity is a bitch” is the only answer she gives. 

“Yeah” is the only answer she gets.

She could stop there. Barbara would respect her privacy. She could stop there and never talk about it again. But she doesn’t want to. She takes a deep breath. She faced scarier enemies. 

“I’m not really into… dating. I found it out pretty late.” 

She hears a “um.” An invitation to continue. 

“And, I find people hot, some boys, some girls, but I didn’t think there was something more than that. And, like, with Tim, and with others, before him, I just. I mean, Tim is smart, he was nice to me, in his own way, he was Robin, and I admired him. And I just. I thought that was it. He’s a guy, I’m a girl, he’s cool and sexy, I must be in love. I found out later that for some people, for most people, for him, it doesn’t work that way.” 

She marks a pause. Closes her eyes. Will Barbara think she’s selfish? But the only thing she ears over the comm is: 

“You are not responsible for the feelings other have toward you.”

And it’s like the dam opens again. 

“I know. I know but that’s still hard. And like, I didn’t really think about it. I broke up with Tim, I didn’t see anyone else, and then a few months ago, a friend from high school I wasn’t talking too anymore since, you know, fake death and all, anyway she made a public aroace coming out on social media, and I related to some of it, but not to everything, so I started looking around on the internet. And I never really took the time to look for that kind of thing, since my priorities were more stopping my dad, and then fighting crime and stuff. But I just. Found a word. What I’m saying is I think I’m aromantic. I’m pretty sure, actually.” 

There is another silence. The comm isn’t disconnected and Steph can hear typing in the distance. So, Oracle is still working. After a while Steph asks: 

“Aren’t you gonna ask me what it is?

-No, I know what aromantic means” and, of course, Oracle knows everything. “And for the record, I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to come out to me.

-Yeah” Steph let her back hit the roof. It isn’t like the stake out is going anywhere really. “You’re the first person I said it to, actually. I mean, the first person who knows my name. All of my names.” 

She can hear a smile in Barbara’s voice when she asks. 

“And how does that feel?

-Good actually” she extends her arm toward the sky, as if she could catch the moon. Given Gotham always cloudy sky, she can’t even see the moon. “I am Stephanie Brown. I was Spoiler. I was Robin, not for long, but still Robin. I am Batgirl. I am aromantic and bisexual.” 

She hears a snort at the end of the comm. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s liberating, but maybe don’t say your whole name and secret identity out loud in the street.” 

Stephanie sits up, looking back at the warehouse she was supposed to watch.

“It’s fine, there is no one around here. Are you really sure the mobsters are going to come tonight?” 

She hears some more typing. 

“I’m not so sure anymore, but you should keep watching.” 

Stephanie sighs dramatically. After a while, she realizes Barbara isn’t going to start another conversation and starts talking again. 

“I kinda wish I could meet others.

\- Mobsters?

-Aromantic people. Ones I could be Batgirl with. Cause I can’t really talk about that on the internet.” 

She hears a sound of understanding. 

“That can be arranged. I don’t have names, and obviously I don’t keep orientations in my databases, but the caped community is huge. I know none of the Titans is straight, at least. They’re pretty open about it, too.”

After a pause, she suggests: 

“Maybe Dick knows aro heroes. He’s like the hub of the community. I don’t know anyone he isn’t friend with. You want me to call him?” 

Steph shrugs before remembering her interlocutor can’t see her. 

“Yeah, sure, why not. I already made one coming-out today, might as well make two.”

She hears a snort, and then the communicator is beeping with the significant tune of a call.

“Hi!” 

There is an explosion in the background. 

“Hi Nightwing! You’re busy?

-For you? Never. Let me just… Goddamit be quiet for a second!”

Another explosion, and some curses. 

“This isn’t urgent, we can call you later.

-Nonono, that’s fine, I’m just… hum… fighting a giant lobster that talks in rhymes. Life is like that sometimes.

-What?” Stephanie stands up on her roof, speaking for the first time since the beginning of the conversation, “that seems so much cooler than what I’m doing. Can I come with you instead of looking at an empty warehouse?” 

Oracle just sighs. 

“I got eyes on you; do you need backup?

-I can be backup. I volunteer to be backup. 

-No, I’m good, sorry Batgirl. Let me just… there you go. Thing is passed out, I’m gonna call the police and then I’m all yours. I wonder how Amy is going to handle that one but hey, that’s not my problem anymore!” 

Some talk and the zip of a grappling line latter, Stephanie knows without seeing him that he’s on a roof. 

“Ok, I’m good, what did you want to talk about? 

-I’m aromantic and bisexual.” Says Steph before she remembers that this isn’t what they wanted to ask. She also says it because might as well get the coming-out over with. Barbara makes no sound, but Steph knows she’s still on the line, listening.

“Oh” and even if she doesn’t have the camera access, she can guess his surprised face, eyebrows raised behind the mask and mouth round. “I wasn’t expecting that.” He giggles. 

“What’s funny?

-Nothing just like, all Nightwing are and will be a and bi then. I need to ask Clark about the original, I don’t know about the a part, but I’m pretty sure there are some stories where he has relationships with men and others with women…”

Before she registers the a and bi part, Stephanie realizes she’s counted as a Nightwing. Most of them had visions of the future, that is, if they hadn’t traveled to it. That’s just the kind of life they live. The image of her costume, her future costume, sporting a bright purple bird instead of the blue one she’s used to see isn’t unknown. Still, she doesn’t know Dick that much, and the fact that he just accepted her as his successor feels weird. Not bad, but weird, nonetheless.

“Well, don’t go retiring on us so soon, old man.” They all know what retiring means. None of them will quit the suit out of choice, not really. Costume transmissions are made in pain and suffering. She’s aware she’s one of the lucky ones. She became Robin while Tim was still alive, if in loss of what to do with his life. She became Batgirl as Cass was still alive, if mourning her father. She hopes that if she ever is to put on the Nightwing costume, it would be handed to her by Dick, and not taken from a casket. She wishes she can be lucky thrice. 

“I’m not planning on it.” Comes the reply in her ear, cutting her from her dark thoughts. She shakes her head, and remembers the topic of the conversation. 

“So, about the a and bi part, you’re uh…

-Bi and ace. Steph, I have pins on my jacket. There was an article about it on the Gotham celebrity news.”

Oh. Turn out her detective skills really really need work. For her defense, she rarely hangs out with Dick, and when she does, she doesn’t focus on his jacket, also... 

“I… I don’t read the Gotham celebrity news. 

-And you’re absolutely right, this article was a disaster. I don’t know what I was expecting, really. I guess my public persona didn’t fit the image they had of an asexual person.

-Nightwing isn’t exactly an ace stereotype, either. I mean this costume is kinda tight.

-Yeah, I know” she hears a half-annoyed grunt as Dick probably land on a rooftop. “But wearing this isn’t an invitation to check out my ass, or…”

Steph hears Barbara sharp intake of breath as he trails off. 

“Not that my ass isn’t a national treasure but still.” 

Even without seeing him, Steph can hear that the joke is forced. She doesn’t really know what to say, doesn’t know the full story. Logically speaking, she does know there is some deep dark stuff hidden beneath Dick’s happy-go-lucky big brother front. Every hero got some, hell, she’s got some dark stuff and she hadn’t been in the job nearly as long as Barbara or Dick. She’s just not sure if she’s emotionally equipped to dig it. Thankfully, Dick keeps talking, getting away from any uncomfortable topic. 

“Anyway, despite the questionable press, and the shitty comments by assholes in gala, I don’t really regret being publicly out. I got some pretty positive feedback on social media, managed to spread some awareness, so there is that. And obviously I don’t regret coming out to the Titans.”

He marks a pause, and Steph thinks he stopped jumping. 

“I’m Dick Grayson. I’m the last of the amazing flying Graysons. I’m the adopted son of Bruce Wayne and the oldest of the pretty large and lovely bunch that are my siblings. I’ve been Robin. I’ve been Batman, a pretty shitty Batman…

-Word of advice, don’t let Damian hear you say that. 

-…but a Batman nonetheless. I’m Nightwing. I’m a biromantic, asexual man.”

Oracle actually laugh at that. 

“That’s a pretty amazing display of titles you have there, _father of dragons_ , but is that too difficult for you two to maybe not say all of that out loud in the street?” 

That earns her a shy laugh from Nighwing, like a child taken with his hands in the sweet jar. 

“Robin is the father of dragons. Have you seen Goliath?”

There is some more noise on the comm, then a curse from Nightwing. 

“Giant lobster escaped. I gotta go. But, Steph…Batgirl, I know we don’t see each other often, but if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me. Bye Oracle, see you soon.” 

As the call ends, Stephanie looks back on the still very disappointingly empty warehouse.

“His night seems so much more fun than mine.” 

Oracle sighs. 

“Yeah, about that. I don’t think these guys are coming out tonight.”

Stephanie laughs. 

“They might be the only ones not to.” She marks a pause, stretching her arms and legs. “So, where to next?" 

Oracle seems to think about it for a second. 

“No one seems to be in need of assistance in Gotham, and I’m pretty by the time you make it to Blüdhaven the giant lobster situation would have been handled, so I guess you can do your normal patrol route and then go home.” 

Stephanie sighs dramatically. At this rate, the night will end with little to no action. Not that this is a bad thing, it means that crime is quiet in Gotham, but she can’t help but be disappointed. 

Still, as she makes her way through Gotham night, rooftop to rooftop, she fells a little lighter.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story. This story is about a coming out that ends well, but as a reminder, you are under no obligation to come out if you don’t feel ready to.


End file.
